Direction-indicator.



J. s; H. LOVETT. DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1914.

1,1 97,642. Patented Sept. 12, 1916,

' 2 SH EETSSHEET 1.

Z I M 1 Z? ci ijfll are it w vhwoo o v J. S. H. LOVETT.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLlCATlQN FILED JUNE 12, 1914.-

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TIM i W jnvonfoz Ciffi/{Lorett Win14 43 snares earner orrren JOSEPH S. H. LOVETT, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

' DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

ioness.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JosnrH S. H. Lovn'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton,-in the county of Mercer, State of i New Jersey, have invented certain new and front and back of the vehicle, the direction in which said vehicle is about to move, so that both those ahead of thewehicleand those behind the vehicle can tell whether the same is about to turn to the right or left or toiproceed straight ahead.-

second object of the invention is to provide means for constantly displaying the license tag of such a vehicle in position normal to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the license tag being on the indicator arm.

A third object of theinvention is to pro vide means for sounding a horn prior to the time of changing the direction of the ve hicle-whenever the direction indicator 1s used.

5 With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like char section on the line'3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. t

is asection on the line 4. of Fig. 2. Fig. i 5 is a section on the line 55 of ,Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail f-ront.view of the latch mechanism'ueed herewith. Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of a. portionlof the mechanism when the vehicle is travhling in a direction straight ahead. Fi 8-isla s1milar View showing the vehicle a out to turn to one side Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12,-191fi.

Application filed June 12, 1914. serial No. 844,716.

In carrying out the objects of this invention as illustrated in the present drawings there is provided a vehicle chassis having a front axle lO and a rear axlevll. On this front axle 10 are. mounted a plurality of 'U-sha-p ed clips.12 which are 'securedin po-' sition by means of a plate 13 and nut 14. These U-shaped clips engage a sleeve 15 which carries a-gear box 16. On the rear axle- 11 are other U-shaped clips 17 held in position by nuts 18 and these last clips carry an elongated sleeve 19. Telescopically mounted within the sleeves 15 and 19 are other sleeves 20 which serve to support a gear box 21 having a sleeve 22 extending upward therefrom adjacent the drivers seat. Furthermore the sleeve 19 carries a rear gear box 22 and each of the gear boxes 16 and 22 is provided with an upwardly extended tube or sleeve 23. On theupper end of the sleeve 22 isslidably mounted a second sleev 21 and journaled in the sleeve 24 and the top of the gear box'21 is a shaft 25 which carries at its upper end a lever 26 having a downwardly projecting boss 27 at its rear end. Adjacent the top of the sleeve, the shaft fixedly carries a plate 28 having its forward end curved and notched at 28 to provide a rack which is engageable by a spring arm 28 secured to and extended upwardly from the sleeve. The lever 26 is pivotally connected'fo the shaft in such manner that when it is swung to a substantially horizontal position, its forward end will engage the-spring arm and force it out of engagement with the rack and permit the shaft to turn. To facilitate engagement of the lever with this spring arm in whatever angular position it assumes, the adjacent end of the lever carries an arcuate engaging plate 26 The rear end of the rack plate carries a flexible tube 30 extending to a-suitable horn 30*- and a bulb 31 is carried above the plate to communicate jwith th tube 30 and is engageable by the boss 27 upon swinging the lever to horizontal position for turning the shaft, so that" every time a change is made in the position of the indicating means, the horn is sound;

ed. On the lower end of the shaft 25 is mounted a bevel gear 33 which meshes with bevel gears 34 carried on the forwardly directed shaft 35 and the rearwardly directed ioo the gears 37- and 38 which r'nesh respectively with bevel gears 39 and 40 carried on shafts 41 and 42which extend upward throu h the tubes or sleeves 23. On these sha s 31 and 42 are mounted arms 43 which each carry an index hand at their extremities. Now it will be noted that the gearing is so arranged that both of these hands turn to the same side at the same time as the lever 26 is turned. Fixed onfthe' upper ends of each of the sleeves 23 is a drum 45 which is connected-by a chain 46 with a drum 47 which is rotatably supportedby the index noted, causes the sounding of the horn. He

then rotates the handle of the lever 26 to the right or left in accordance with the direction. that -he intends to travcl. This causes the index hands 44 to swing around to the same side both in front and to the rear of the machine; Meanwhile the action of the sprocket chain maintains the frame 49 at each end of the vehicle in a position crosswise to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, or in other Words normal to the direction of travel so that the license displayed on' this frame is visible from'the front and. the rear of the vehicle. After the driver has accomplished the turn he again depresses the lever- 26 ,which again causes the bulb 31 to compress-and the horn to sound and rotates said lever to bring the hands directly in line with the straight directionof travel. Thus it will be seen that each time'that the vehicle is turned from one side to the other these hands willindicatesuch ta turn, There'has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and of the .character '-speci-- It will be obvious that many minor changes may be madevinthe' form and construction of this invention without departdng from the material principles thereof.

It isnot therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is'wished toinclude all 1 1. In a slgnal device, the combination with visual signal means including a shaft for actuating said means, of a member secured on the shaft and including a rack, a spring arm selectively engageable with portions of the'rack to hold the shaft in desired positions, a lever pivoted to the shaft-above the member and adapted to swing vertically to disengage the'spririg arm, and means carried by the said rack member and the lever for actuating an audible signal upon swinging movement of the lever to free the memher. a 1.

-Q2. Ina signal mechanism, the combination with a vertical shaft having an indicator member extending laterally therefrom and means for operating said shaft and a fixed bearing for the shaft,'of a drum rotatably carried by the indicator member, a license plate depending from the drum and V flexible members wound on the drum and.

secured to the shaft bearing.

I In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature in-the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH 'S. H. LOVETT.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. LANSING, HENRY D. LANSING.

Copies of this patent'may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. i 

